Tim Hadland, the council's cabinet member for regeneration, said: "This year we are celebrating the rich and interesting story of Northampton and our nation.

"So it seems only fitting that we are looking carefully at how we can protect the site of one of the most significant battles fought on English soil."

A report to be discussed by the council this week says a draft Battlefield Conservation Action Plan has been drawn up.

It recommends further archaeological work to locate the site of the "Lancastrian camp" during the battle.

Image copyrightNorthampton Borough CouncilImage caption
The battle took place near Delapre Abbey in Northampton

It also calls for work to restore and conserve parts of the site.

A Yorkist army of about 15,000 led by the "Kingmaker" Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, and the 18-year-old Edward, then known as the Earl of March, attacked between 7,000 and 10,000 Lancastrians in a fortified camp.

Artillery was used for the first time in Britain during the battle and experts believe other discoveries are possible.